The Third Scent
by Last Marauder
Summary: Severus Snape was unnerved. He had never before had any trouble with a Potions assignment...


It was no secret that Lily Evans, though muggleborn, was a favourite of Professor Slughorn's, and was therefore no surprise when he called her to the front or the dungeon classroom to examine the potion firsthand and identify for the class its key ingredients.

"Awfully cocky, for a mudblood," sniggered Mulciber as she answered perfectly.

Severus Snape scowled. With her intelligence, she could have gone far, he mused, but she had made it clear to him the last time they spoke that she preferred the company of braggarts and half-breeds to his own. He watched in disgust as she was welcomed back to the Gryffindor table with a wolf-whistle.

"What did you smell, Evans?"

"Bet I can guess," jeered Black, punching Potter jocularly on the arm.

Severus saw Lily's lips purse, but his attention was diverted from her pinkening ears by Professor Slughorn's interjection.

"Oh ho!" He boomed, "What a question to ask a lady! You've got a thing or two to learn about witches, m'boy! Now then- where were we? Yes… quite a potion, Amortentia- extremely powerful. And like all great powers, it is to be treated with the utmost respect- no no, Prewett, don't laugh! In the right hands such a potion could prove as dangerous as the Draught of Living Death!"

The class had fallen silent, enraptured by his theatrical tone.

"Think, boy- all consuming love! What you wouldn't do! What you- oh ho! It appears I've run out of time!"

Severus noted that the professor always seemed to run out of time at the dramatic climax of his monologues.

"We will continue our discussion next time- please have ready for me a 3 foot essay on the components of Amortentia and their respective contributions to potency and emotional texture. My advanced group, of course, will stay a little longer- today's lesson is very exciting! And challenging, I might add! Yes, today, you will actually be attempting to _brew_ Amortentia for yourselves."

A murmur of excitement rippled through the class. "I warn you, I will be watching you quite vigilantly- this potion is certainly not for personal use, eh, Avery?" He chuckled, to Avery's intense and ill-concealed embarrassment.

As most of the class gathered their books and trickled out of the dungeon classroom, Slughorn began directing the remaining six students.

"All right now, move in together, that's right. Longbottom- over there with Clearwater, please, and Miss Evans, why don't you come up a bit closer, share with Snape. There's a lass."

Severus kept his eyes forward as Lily gathered her supplies and made her way to his table. There was no overt hostility in her grazing his shoulder as she passed, nor was there any in the curt smile he attempted as she settled in, but few words were exchanged between them for the remainder of the lesson. This fact was noted by Slughorn with a dry raise of the eyebrow- his two star pupils were normally chummy and enthusiastic in sharing innovative tips for improvement- but he thought better than to comment. Young people, he mused, tended to have a flair for the dramatic, but usually managed to sort things out well enough on their own.

With a few more directions, the students got to work on their potions. Half an hour later, while most of the advanced students were still painstakingly splitting unicorn hairs, Severus was close to finished, his opalescent potion already beginning to emit spirals of steam. Giving his cauldron a triumphant stir, he leaned in to for a final test of proportions.

Severus frowned. According to Bott's theorem, he should be able to discern three distinct scents, which may be easier or more difficult to distinguish based on their similarity. He could clearly make out new parchment, and a subtle whiff of Licorice Humbugs… but where was the third scent?

Hastily, he chopped up some more mallow leaf and dropped it into his cauldron, where is fizzed energetically, emitting spirals of lilac steam. _There_. The licorice was less hesitant now, and the parchment was unmistakable. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to make out the third scent.

He tutted in annoyance. Evans was leaning past him to reach the silver dagger in the middle of the shared table, her hair falling irritatingly close to him. He could clearly smell her vaguely flowery shampoo, overpowering the scent he was searching for in his own work.

When she had at last resumed work at her own cauldron, Severus closed his eyes and tried again, stirring the bubbling liquid counter-clockwise and breathing deeply. _All right_. _Parchment. Licorice_. And… Merlin, there it was again! Evans' stupid perfume was clouding his nostrils, making it impossible to detect the third scent.

"Lily, if you can't keep your damn hair out of my cauldron-" he began angrily, before turning to find her spot at the table vacant. He cast his eyes up to the head table where Slughorn cooed shamelessly over her already bottled potion.

Biting his lip, he filled a small glass phial to the brim with the opalescent potion. The stopper jammed in, he hesitated, his hand and the bottle hovering a moment over the inner pocket of his robes.

Moments later he was gliding up the dungeon's stairs. One phial of perfect Amortentia sat on the professor's desk, waiting to be graded.


End file.
